Dmoz: Three Million Sites, 52,000 Editors

I was a volunteer editor on Dmoz for six months and can address some of the concerns about how it's compiled.

Dmoz doesn't let editors keep categories forever; editors are removed often for giving their own sites a "cool" rating, showing personal favoritism, or general sloth.

Also, all categories have multiple editors -- the person listed as the editor on the page and anyone who edits a category above it in the hierarchy. If a category has no listed editor, such as the RSS News Readers category Dave refers to, look at its parent category for an editor. In this example, Ben Hammersley is editing the RSS category.

I think Dmoz is a pretty amazing accomplishment -- 52,000 editors, 3 million sites, not $1 in income, and yet it's the best directory on the Internet.

Dmoz · 2002/10/10 · 5 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

Heck, you might even say "we have the worst one possible... Except, of course, for all the others."

#1 · Steve B. · 2002/10/11

Of course, DMOZ hasn't made $1, but some of the editors have made thousands.

#2 · Looser · 2002/10/11

How? I've never heard anything about editors being paid.

#3 · Rogers Cadenhead · 2002/10/12

Okay, tell me how to get my site into: recreation--pets--dogs--news :
There's deadwood links in the category, and I've been trying for months to get listed. Finally, I applied to be an editor of that category... thanks.
sign me frustrated... woof!
(faked email address because I'm spammed in; my email addy works on my website)

#4 · Dog Newsie · 2002/10/12

I never had good luck getting sites listed in Dmoz. It seemed like every category I submitted a site to was being edited infrequently if at all. My only suggestion is to keep track of your submissions and send them again after around 90-120 days.

#5 · Rogers Cadenhead · 2002/10/12